The principle of Responsible Product Stewardship is the basis on which we meet consumer demand for a legal product that is a cause of serious diseases. Therefore, our products and brands should be developed, manufactured and marketed in a responsible manner. We also aspire to develop tobacco products with critical mass appeal that will, over time, be recognised by scientific and regulatory authorities as posing substantially reduced risks to health.

Taxation of tobacco products provides significant revenue for governments around the world and in some countries, is seen as a tool for driving down consumption.
However, tobacco products are relatively easy to smuggle and to counterfeit. Punitive tax levels and tax differences across borders can create and stimulate the conditions for these problems.
The solutions to smuggling and counterfeiting require the cooperation of many parts of society.

Our responsibility is to account to governments for the collection of all tobacco taxes for which we are legally responsible and to manage our operations in a way that our business practices are directed only at supporting the legitimate trade in our products.

We will:

Comply with all tobacco tax laws;

Cease to supply any customer whom we conclude is a smuggler of tobacco products or is knowingly or recklessly supplying smugglers with such products;

Ensure that our supplies to our markets are consistent with our understanding of domestic market consumption and the legitimate needs of the travelling consumer;

Only advertise our products in markets where they are legally available.

We share responsibility with governments, customs authorities and our commercial partners to maintain a stable fiscal environment for the collection of tobacco taxes by governments.

For our part, we will:

Contribute to the development of taxation regimes that do not create opportunities for illicit traders or undermine the objectives of public policy;

Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective collection of all tobacco taxes;

Work closely with customs authorities and our commercial partners to identify and implement practical steps to assist in efforts to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products.

We see it as the responsibility of governments and multilateral organisations to establish workable fiscal regimes and economic policies that do not create the conditions for illicit trade, and to implement and enforce effective legislation and strong border controls directed towards combating illicit trade.

We will contribute by:

Promoting and supporting the development of appropriate regulation and enforcement activities for eliminating contraband and counterfeit tobacco products.